THE DIAMOND ROBBERY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5731, 28 October 1905, Page 12

THE DIAMOND ROBBERY.

(By Viggo Toepfer.) Some years ago I went to spend the last few weeks of the season at Marienlyst, the famous seaside resort near Elsinore and Hamlet’s tomb. As X entered the hotel late in the afternoon X iound the whole lower floor apparently deserted, but when I pressed a button a waiter came running down tho grand stairway. "You will excuse, sir, that no one was here to receive you, but Mr Dahl, the proprietor, whom I just soo coming, will explain you the reason why.” Mr Dahl, with profure apologies, explained that the theft of a diamond necklace had upset the whole establishment, and that the police were even now upstairs investigating.

The waiter thereupon conducted me to a room on the second floor, and, if I had not known better, I would have thought the hotel deserted, for tho only guest I met in the corridor was a young man, whose unusually handsome face struck mo, and whom my companion saluted with a respectful "God dag, Herr Torp.” Once in my room I started getting ready for tho table d’hote, and had forgotten all about the theft, when there was a knock at tho door.

"I beg your pardon,” said the man who entered; 'H am a detective, and must ask you to let* me examine your luggage.” "But I have only just arrived, and when I came the theft of the diamonds had already been committed. My trunk has not even come yet, but you are welcome to look through my grip; it is open,” I replied and went on dressing. I was startled bv an exclamation from the detective, and when I turned around I saw him holding a case containing a costly necklace in -his hand. "You seem to have used your time well,” he said with a sarcastic smile. ‘'l

will have to ask you to remain in this room until I c-an return.” And with this he left the room, locking the door from the outside.

1 stood there dumfounded. I, Eugene IToRt, head of one of the largest firms in the country, arrested for theft! The very idea was too absurd. Mv thoughts were interrupted by the d to’etive, who returned with a policeman, and without any formalities 1 was ordered to come along to the office of the proprietor of the establishment, where he. a police official. Mr Torp and the countess who had lest tlie jowls awaited me. “Your name?” asked the official. “Eugene Francis Holst.” “Your occupation ?** “Hoad of the firm of Eugene Holst and Co.” rf/ “Whore do you live." “Copenhagen.” . “'When did you arrive at Elsinore? “This afternoon at 5.35.” “Whom did you meet first here in the hotel.?** “Xjhafc waiter.** ‘“fihen?” “The proprietor. Mr. Dahl. '‘Anybody else?” “Yes; I mot a Mr Torp in tho corridor.” .. Tho official produced the case with the jewels. “Countess von Ahuskjold,” he called loudly, and then a lady of a Southern type stopped forward. these your jewels?” “Yes, yes,” she exclaimed eagerly, and stretched out her hand to tako them, when Mr Torp came up and asked xiolite’“Will you kindly permit mo to look at thotio diamonds?” “Certainly ?” Ho looked at them for a moment, and said : “These diamonds are imitations, and hardly worth twenty kroner; and X doubt that Mr Holst would commit a theft for such a trifle.” “Impossible!” cried tbo counted excitedly. “You must bo mistaken.** But Mr Torp insisted, and a jeweller, who was telephoned for, confirmed his words. As soon as this expert had loft, Mr Torp, to tho surprise of everybody, went to the dcor and locked it, putting his key in his pocket. Having done this, he turned to the polic© commissioner and said: “If you have no objection, sir, I would like to tell a little story which has a certain bearing on this case. Some years ago there lived on an old estate in Essex a Countess Mildred— —” “I beg your pardon,*’, interrupted tbo proprietor of the hotel, “but it seems to me that Mr Torp might choose some other time for telling his undoubtedly very interesting story.” “No; I want to hoar what h© has to say',” replied tho police official; so Mr Torp went on: “Laclv Mildred was very rich and possessed tho famous diamond GeraMa. which was kept in a steel box, the key of which she always carried on a chain around her neck. Her servants consisted of an old married housekeeper, Mary Chester, whoso husband was gatekeeper; the butler. Drumont; the maid, Lucy Powell, and tho coachman, Russell. They had all been in Lady Mildred’s service for years, and she had full confidence in them. .

"One day the diamond Geralda disappeared most mysteriously. Tho police were called and the diamond was found in Mary's trunk. "The woman wa© dumfoundod, and though she swore that she was innocent, she was arrested and sent to prison. < A week later her husband committed suicide from grief. ‘‘Scon after the butler, Drumont, resigned, and returned to Paris, where ho was born. Lady Mildred took care of Mary Chester’s daughter, Florence, and gave her the best of education possible. "Once while on her way to London Florence visited her mother in prison, and promised that she would never rest until she had found the thief of tho diamond. "Soon after Lady Mildred died and left Florence ,£25,000, tho smaller amounts were left to all tho servants, with tho exception of Lucy Powell, who had gone to Paris and married Drumont. "When tho estate was settled it was discovered that largo quantities of the old family silver had disappeared, and the thieves were never found." Air Torp stopped a moment and looked sharply at Countess Ahuskjold and Air Dahl. The first was pale as death, while the proprietor tried to smile. "True to her promise," he continued, "Florence kept to her search for the guilty parties, and to bo able to do this she assumed the dress of a man. She went to Paris and found that the Drumonts wore living a life of case at Ashioros. Sho located several pieces of tho missing silver in pawnshops, but before she had been able to discover tho identity of those who had pawned them the birds had flown. "She found them again at Brussels, where they wore living as Baron and Baroness Ncberback at the Hotel Royal, but again they disappeared, as did also much jewellery belonging to guests. "Nino long years sho followed them, heaping proof on proof, always drawing the net closer around them, and now they are caught. "Some time ago this hotel was bought by Mr Dahl. A week before a number of diamonds had been stolen at Vienna, and an automatic apparatus in the store had taken a snapshot of the thieves. "It is a true likeness of Mr Dahl and Countess Ahuskjold. And now I, Florence Chester, detective from London, arrest Francis Drumont and Lucy Powell in tho name of the law." With a cry the "countess" fell to tho floor, while the, proprietor cried: "Ho lies; he is an imposter!" Florence Chester calmly handed tho police official her papers and a warrant for the arrest of tho couple. The official looked them over and asked: "How do you explain this last theft?"

"Nothing is easier. The ‘countess' protended to have been robbed, and her husband put the necklace in Mr Holst's satchel, that they might throw suspicion on him when they robbed tho guests of the hotel, as they intended." I went over and shook Miss Chester’s hand.

"I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for mo," I said, "and I compliment you for the astuteness with which you have acted." "It was for the sake of the honour of my mother," she replied softly, her eyes filling with tears. "She died a few months ago, convinced that some day I would clear her name."— I "Examiner.